Various unions blamed the Egyptian Trade Union Federation (ETUF) for making Tahrir Square celebrations on 1 May a failure.
The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and Public Services International (PSI) said in a joint statement that “they were surprised by the way they ruined the celebration through force,” and added that they were quite sure the ETUF was behind it.
The statement put responsibility on Egyptian authorities for not taking precautionary measures to protect laborers and enable them to celebrate freely.
The two bodies reiterated their support for the Egyptian Independent Trade Unions Federation (EITUF), which is “the only organization giving voice to labors,” according to the statement.
The ETUF responded by condemning “the campaign launched by the two confederations to blame it for ruining the celebrations.”
The celebration held on 1 May in Tahrir, according to the statement, “was called for by a group representing political parties and not representing Egyptians labors.”
The EITUF celebration witnessed clashes among attendees. Members said remnants of the former regime were involved in inciting thugs to ruin the celebration.
Prior to the 25 January revolution, toppled President Hosni Mubarak’s regime used the ETUF as a tool to guarantee that Mubarak and his party would win elections.
Translated from the Arabic Edition
